Office of the Provost

Academic Transformation Update

February 27, 2025
This message was shared with all faculty and staff on February 26th, 2025.

Summary

  • Working Groups complete Sprint #1; completed reports can be found on the Academic Transformation SharePoint.
  • A review process has been established for working group deliverables to engage and receive input from a range of stakeholders.
  • Guidance has been added for talking to prospective students about Academic Transformation.
  • Faculty Senate approves integration of Close School of Entrepreneurship within LeBow College of Business.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to share exciting updates on Academic Transformation.

Sprint Reports

The five Academic Transformation working groups – Academic Integration, Calendar, Consistency, Core Competencies and Curricular Structure – are each working in sprints to address specific objectives and deliverables that build toward the charge of their respective groups.

All five groups have completed their first sprint, and three of the five have completed their accompanying reports and initial steps of review. We encourage you to read through these first reports from the Calendar, Core Competencies and Curricular Structure teams on the Academic Transformation SharePoint.

The remaining team reports will be added when finalized and reviewed.

Review Process

After completing their sprints, the working groups submit reports for review by multiple project leaders and stakeholders, including student government representatives, as well as Academic Council, which is comprised of all deans, the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, and Provost’s Office leadership. Conversations around the first three reports have been both positive and productive, marked by thoughtful and collaborative engagement that has expanded on the opportunities presented.

Working group deliverables that require Senate review will move on to the Faculty Senate following these stakeholder meetings. The first three sprint reports will be reviewed at the Senate meeting on March 18, with the working group co-chairs in attendance to present the outcomes. We encourage all to attend and ask questions.

For reference, a diagram of the full sprint review process can be viewed on the SharePoint here.

Enrollment Management Talking Points and FAQs

In addition to streamlining the AT SharePoint site overall, two updates have been added under Resources and FAQ:

  • Talking Points have been added to provide guidance in key areas. The section contains recruitment-related points from Enrollment Management and University Marketing & Communications to guide faculty and staff in discussing Academic Transformation with prospective students and families. Additional talking points will be added for other stakeholders, as they are developed by units across the University.
  • FAQs on Enrollment Management/Impact have been added. These points were distilled from the Enrollment Management presentation at their Jan. 30 Summit.

If you have additional requests for Talking Points or FAQs, please submit them via the Qualtrics form or by emailing pmoe@drexel.edu.

Academic Integration Proposal

At its February 18 meeting, Faculty Senate voted to approve the proposal to integrate the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship within the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business.

As a reminder, this proposal was drafted and endorsed by LeBow Dean Vibhas Madan, PhD, and Close Dean Donna M. De Carolis, PhD, and received support from their respective faculty and academic leadership. Related documents and Senate meeting recordings can be found under “Past Meetings” on the Senate website.

We are grateful to the faculty and professional staff on these teams for their thoughtful and comprehensive contributions in this first sprint, and to all who have engaged in providing insight, feedback or support in this process in countless ways. The conversations prompted by the teams’ work have been exciting, and we look forward to further discussion and details in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Amy Weaver
Vice Provost for Academic Strategy & Communications
Academic Transformation Project Lead

Kevin Owens, PhD
Chair, Faculty Senate
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Academic Transformation Co-Sponsor

Paul E. Jensen, PhD
Executive Vice President
Nina Henderson Provost
Academic Transformation Co-Sponsor